After a hard fought 23-18 win over the Rugby Cranes, Kenya Simbas stand-in captain Darwin Mukidza believes limiting their errors was key in grabbing the advantage after the first 80 minutes of the two-legged Elgon Cup.
Handed the skipper role in the absence of the injured Wilson Kopondo, Mukidza used his boot to help Kenya to a hard fought win over their rivals.
The winger converted two late penalties to overturn the game and give Kenya the advantage going into the second leg.
“We had to clear out our errors and be disciplined in our defense, that is what worked for us as we came back in the game in the second half,” Mukidza told KRU on return to Kenya.
The Simbas saw their early 10-00 lead extinguished in the late stages of the first half with Uganda scoring 18 unanswered points to take an 18-10 lead after the first 40 minutes.
The Simbas will now take a 5-point advantage into the return leg set for June 24 at the RFUEA grounds in Nairobi, a game that will double as the two teams’ first in the Africa Gold Cup.
“We will now work on our positives and try to clear out our errors. We have to try and keep the ball much more to make our work easy,” Mukidza, who crossed the white chalk thrice in Kenya’s demolition of Uganda, said.
For the Rugby Cranes, mistakes cost them the game. Twice in the game they played with 14 men following sin bins to Marvin Odongo and Aaron Ofoyrwoth.
Philip Wokorach was also punished for trying to play in Uganda’s 22 as he lost the ball for Kenya’s first try of the game.
The full back also conceded one of the two last penalties converted by Mukidza to subject Uganda to yet another loss on home turf.
Kenya defeated Uganda 45-24 in Nairobi last year to record a 93-34 aggregate win en-route to their ninth Elgon Cup title.